Reclaiming bucket



July 3,1923." 1.460.615

Y D., E. STAIR RECLAIMING BUCKET Filed Aug. 17. 1922 17mm?! I 52225 Patented July 3, 1923.

UNITED STATES application filed August 17, 1922/ Serial No. sea-4821f To all whom it may concern: 7

Beit known that I, DANIEL ST IR, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart' and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefuljlmprovements in Reclaiming Buckets, of which the following is a specificatio-nf This'invention relates toa new and im proved clam-shell bucket, and-more particu-' larly to a bucket of this typeadapted to operate with sm'allhead room'and to ride easily in the bight of a line. I i v 'Various types of'reclaiming bucketscomprising numerous forms" of clam-shell buckets are now in use inconnection with conveying systems. number- 'of these buckets require ad'ditional'lines for latching and unlatching the bucketsi In many types of buckets in which the fall lines are expect; ed'to operate in closing" the buckets, the fall line is so reeved through sheaves in the bucket that when the bucket is moved by the traction cableythis reeving interposes considerable "frictional resistance." Use of the additional bucket operating lines also undulyi complicates the conveying system.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a: bucket which is: adapted. to operate with but little head room and to ride easil :in'thebight'ofithe line, and in which the all'icable isreeved through sheaves in such manner as'toobtain ample leverage while the bucket isdigging or closingl It is a further object to :provide afbucket in'which the reeving is eliminated when the bucket-is'iully opened or fully'closed so that it maybe -movedalong the conveyor with a minimum of frictional resistance.

It is also an object to provide a bucket in which the opening and closing are accomplished" without additionallatchor other cables. 'w a I Other and furtheriobjects will appear as the description proceeds; 1 v

Broadly, my invention comprises a clam-f shellbucket consisting ofa pair of coacting bucket members hingedly connected together.- A lever arm is. connected to "each bucket-member and :means are attached to the'se arms adapted to detachably engage the bucket'above its centendfgravity. When supported.- from these means;- the bucket" is closed :by :gravity. These means are so related toithef'portion of the; bucket which' they engage that when in 'the closed position, upon H the" weight *of the bucket being je ANIEL E. s'rArR, or ELKHART, rnnr'nivn.

, teams mc 1 Rnci rMING BUCKET. If QTLQ? moved' froln the Ineans,they move out ofengagement with the bucketand permit it to be opened by gravity. Sheaves are carried by the leverarms' upon'which the fall ropeis adapted to pass.

In the" preferable form,

an a ditional Y sheave is located'interr'nediate"thetwoffirst' mentioned sheaves and is supported by arms from the bucket; 'This additionalsheave aids in the functioning of the leverarmsin the closing operation. Y

I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying draw- I 7 the bucket'in' the ings, in which Figure 1 ma view of closedposition;

Figure 2 is a view of the bucketin the open, discharging, tractioning position; and

Figure 3' is aview of the bucket in the opened anddigging position. The bucket comprises the two halves 6 and 7 which are of ordinary; cIam Shell design. These buckets are hingedly "connected together 'at the hinge-member '8. LThe adjacent uppe-r edge portions-of the bucket are I provided with'stops 9 and 10 adaptedto'pre vent the bucket from opening widerw tha-n the position shown in Figure 2. 1 The sheave- 1-1 is supported from the two bucket'membersby means of'supp'ortingarms 12 and 13. The lever arms-l4; and 15 are pivotally connected to the two bucket halves, and these arms, adjacenttheir outer ends,'carry the sheaves 16 and 17 respectivelyiand' are pro;- vided with the abu'tting stops l8 and 19. The dogs 20 andf21 are pivotallyhung from: the two lever arms as best shown in Figure 2. These dogs'ar'e'providedvwith the-hook portions 22wa-nd 23-adapted=to engage-the pivot member-'8. The fall-rope 24: is passed under the sheaves 16 and 17 and passes over When-the bucket is the as shownlin FiJgureQ, it is open and is adapted for itrac tioninge The fall rope \cpasses smoothly under theupper sheaves-16 and 17:

andab'ove the lower sheave 11 as the bucket i's 'movedf'along the conveyor: NVhen' the" bucket reaches the desired loadingepoint, the-fall rop'eis payed rout until the bucket rests: upon the material to be, reclaimedi dogs outwardly until the hook portions 22 and 23. engage the hinge member. The fall rope is then hauled in, the upward pull through the sheaves upon the upper ends of the twolever arms causes them to pivot about the hinge member 8 due to the engagement of the dogs therewith and thus causes the bucket members to be swung toward each other and to dig into the material. This action is facilitated by the downward thrust transmitted from the sheave 11 through the. arms 12and 13.

WVhen the bucketreaches the-fully closed position, the parts are, in the relation shown in Figure l. The bucketis now supported from the hinge member 8, resting upon the twodogs 20' and 21, The. fall rope'is hauled in, until the bucketi-si lifted to he conveyingle-vel and. here in this-position, the fall rope passes smoothly to the sheaves-for the traction movement:

When the, bucket reaches the discharge position, the fall rope is payed out so as to allow a: small amount, of slack after the bucket rests upon the ground'orupon the pile of material. This slack permits the lever arms'l and-15 to fall slightly toward the hinge: member 8, and; the pivots of the dogs 20 and 21 are then in this closed position so related to the hinge member that the dogs are swung by gravity clear of the. hinge member. The weight of the bucket members themselves and of the material thereon'then quicklyzcauses the'members to move to the position of Figure 2, discharging thematerial in the bucket. This completes the cycle ofoperation.

ltrwill be observed that my bucket is simple in design and constructiontand composed ofLrelativelyiew parts and that it is" simple infoperation. LIntheclosing or digging movement, full leverage, is had. In the tractioningsmovement, either open or closed, the rope passes the sheaves with the minimum possible resistance.

The particular embodiment: shown is by way of example only and it is my intention to coverall modifications coming within'the spirit and scope'of the following claims.

I claim 1. In a clam-shell bucket, a pair o-fcoactinig bucket members hingedly connected together, a lever arm connected'to each bucket member, and means "carried by the lever arms adapted to idetachably :engage' the. bucket above. its center ofgravity whereby when? supported fby said means, the :bucket is :closed I'bv gravity, said means being adaptedtto disengage .the'ibucketto permit the bucket to open when theweight of the bucket is: taken from'fsaidmeans.

'2. Iniaclam shell bucket, a'pair ofcoact ing 3 bucket members .hingedly connected r togethery ailever arm connected: to: each bucket member, anddogscarried by the leverarms to receive a conveyorfall rope, the Conveyor fall rope-serving to move thelevers relative tothe bucket when the bucket is'disengaged from said dogs.

4, In a clam-shell; bucket, .a;.pair ofcoaclling bucket members-rhingedly connectedto gether, a lever arm connected to each bucket; member adjacent its outer, upper edge, the lever arms crossing each. other andbeing provided at intermediate points with dogs adapted to engage the bucket hinge member,

and at their free ends with; sheaves adapted to receive a conveyor tall rop.e,'thebuoket1 being supported from the sheaves bythe. levers when the dogs are'disengagedfrom the hinge member.

, 5. In a clam-shell bucket, a pair of coasting bucket members hingedly' connected together, a lever arm connected to each bucketmember adjaoent its outer, upper edge, the

lever arms crossing each other sand being: provided "at intermediate points-with dogs adapted to engage the buckethinge; member, and at their free ends' with sheaves adapted to; receive 3 a conveyor-"fall rope, the: sheaves and levers beinglso :constr-ucted that the sheaves and free ends-of the lovers are located adjacent :eachother when the bucket-tie supported from the sheaves.

'6. In a cla shell buoketyapair of-coacir in-g bucket members hingedly connected to-.- gether, a lever arm connected'toeach bucket member adjacent itsaouter, upper" edge, the lever arms crossing each other and. being provided at intermediatev points withdogs adapted to engage the bucket hinge "meme ber, and at their free ends with sheaves adapted to receive a conveyor fall rope, and an additional sheave supported from 1 the bucket members 'by arms, :said sheaves beingadapted to receivethe fall rope :uponi its upper portion. v 7. In a clameshellbucket, a pair" of coaot mg bucket :members "-hin'gedly-wconnected to.

' gather, a lever" armiconneotedtoeachib lbket member adj aoent its outer, iupper e'dgat the. lever zar ms. crossing each otherandfbeing provided at "intermediate points :with :dogs adapted to engage" the bucket hinge; mom ber,- and at their free ends with sheaves adapted to receive conveyor fall *rope, pullinc upon the fall rope serving to draw the sheaves together. g

8. In a clam-shell bucket, a pair of coacting bucket members hingedly connected together, a lever arm' connected to each bucket member adjacent its outer, upper edge, the lever arms crossing each other and being provided at intermediatev points with dogs adapted to engage the bucket hinge member, and at their free ends with sheaves adapted to receive a. conveyor fall rope, and an ad ditional sheave supported from the bucket members by arms, said sheave being adapted to receive the fall rope upon its upper portion, the sheaves carried by the lever arms being below and upon either side of the additional sheaves when the leversare moved to permit the dogs to engage the hinge member.

9. In a clam-shell bucket, a pair of coacting bucket members hingedly connected together, a lever arm connected to each bucket member adjacent its outer, upper edge,'the lever arms crossing each otherland being provided at intermediate points with dogs adapted'to engage the bucket hinge member,

and at their free ends with sheaves adapted to receive a conveyor fall rope, and an additional sheave supported from the bucket members byarms,'said sheave being adapted to receive the fall rope upon its upper portion, the arms being so related to the bucket members, thrust transmitted to the additional sheaveby the fall rope serving to swing 5 the bucket members to closed position.

10. In a cla-m shell bucket, a pair of coedge, the lever arms crossing each other and" being provided at intermediate points with dogs adapted to engage the bucket hinge member, and at their free ends with sheaves adapted to receive a conveyor fall rope, and an additional sheave supported from the bucket membersby arms, said sheave being. J adapted to receive the fall rope uponits up per portion, the parts being so related that the lever arm sheaves are adjacent e'ac-h other and above, the additional sheave when the bucket is in closed position, 1

11. In a clam-shell bucket, a pair of coacting bucket members hingedly connected to I gether, a lever arm connected to each bucket member adjacent its outer, upper edge, the lever arms crossing each other and being provided at intermediate points with dogs adapted to engage the bucket hinge member, and at their freeends with sheaves adapted to receive a conveyor fallrope, and an addi? tional sheave supported from the bucket members by arms, said sheave being adapted to receive the fall rope upon its upper portion, theparts being so related that the-lever arm sheaves are adjacent each other and above the additional sheave when the bucket is in closed position, and all ,parts of the bucket lie below-thelever arm sheaves.

Signed at Elkhart, Indiana, this. 12th day Y of August, 1922. I

' DANIEL E. sTAiR. 

